Merlin Santana's Killer Convicted

[CrimsonTide4]

LOS ANGELES – A 21-year-old man convicted of the first-degree murder of actor Merlin Santana was sent to prison today for consecutive 25- year to life sentences, the District Attorney's office announced.

Deputy District Attorney Greg Dohi said Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry P. Fidler sentenced Damien Andre Gates to two 25-year-to- life terms, plus 20 years, plus another life sentence. The sentences, to run consecutively, mean that it is unlikely the defendant ever will be paroled.

A jury in Fidler's court earlier this month convicted Gates of first- degree murder and attempted murder. The jury found that he used a rifle to commit the crimes.

A second defendant, Brandon Douglas Byrnes, 25, has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon. He is expected to be sentenced to a 23-year prison term by Judge Fidler on March 11.

Jury selection is under way in Fidler's court for the final defendant, 17-year-old Monique King. Like Gates and Byrnes, she is charged with one count each of murder and attempted murder. Because she was 15 at the time the crime occurred, her case first went to juvenile court, where a judge found her unfit to be tried as a juvenile. King turned 17 on Feb. 11.

All three defendants were arrested shortly after the shooting and have remained in custody.

[AKA2D '91]

Have we learned why?

[SummerChild]

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
LOS ANGELES – A 21-year-old man convicted of the first-degree murder of actor Merlin Santana was sent to prison today for consecutive 25- year to life sentences, the District Attorney's office announced.

Deputy District Attorney Greg Dohi said Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry P. Fidler sentenced Damien Andre Gates to two 25-year-to- life terms, plus 20 years, plus another life sentence. The sentences, to run consecutively, mean that it is unlikely the defendant ever will be paroled.

A jury in Fidler's court earlier this month convicted Gates of first- degree murder and attempted murder. The jury found that he used a rifle to commit the crimes.

A second defendant, Brandon Douglas Byrnes, 25, has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon. He is expected to be sentenced to a 23-year prison term by Judge Fidler on March 11.

Jury selection is under way in Fidler's court for the final defendant, 17-year-old Monique King. Like Gates and Byrnes, she is charged with one count each of murder and attempted murder. Because she was 15 at the time the crime occurred, her case first went to juvenile court, where a judge found her unfit to be tried as a juvenile. King turned 17 on Feb. 11.

All three defendants were arrested shortly after the shooting and have remained in custody.

Good.

[UpPinkies]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
Have we learned why?

No, I don't think so. From what I have heard that it was to rob him, but the real reason has never come forth. Every time I look at reruns of the Steve Harvey Show I think how Merlin is not with us anymore. Sad and that young man had a nice career going for him.

[nikki1920]

Glad to hear that these people will be put away for life. Its so sad that he wont be with us any more.

[Honeykiss1974]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
Have we learned why?

Here is a blip as to why........

Merlin Santana was Romeo on the Steve Harvey Show. A young California girl, Monique King, made false accusations that he raped her; which prompted two men to murder him.

Monique King - who was 15 when Santana was killed was sentenced to eight years in juvenile prison. King told the two men Santana had made physical sexual advances on her. Her accusation angered the men and they used a rifle to shoot Snatana in the head on Nov 9, 2002. The young girl later recanted her statment, but Santana had already been killed.

Here is another site that confirms this...
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet.../personid-1777

[IntuitiveChick]

WHAT!!! That's too much!

[living4christ]

It's a shame someone had to lose their life over a lie.

[CrimsonTide4]

It's a shame that folks play with other folks' lives like this.

[ladylike]

I hope the lie this girl told haunts her for the rest of her days.

[DELTABRAT]

I agree...little skeezer (took that waaay back). I am really mad that she played with this man's life like that. Now he has a daughter whose life he won't be able to be a part of...

I don't understand. This should be a lesson to the groupies that think it's cute to say "so and so did so and so to me..." or "I me so and so ate the club and he touched my butt." Even though he wasn't a huge celebrity, I am thinking she was bragging more or less as opposed to "trying" to get him killed. Either way, you know the folls you run with are some gangstas so serves her right.

[Neosoulchild]

This is terrible. Rape is just something you don't lie about. It is a horrible experience to go through, and things like this is what makes people suspicious when a woman is actually raped and goes to the police about it. I'm sure this will haunt her for the rest of her life, and I wish this had gotten more publicity so it could be a lesson to silly little girls everywhere. Rape and child moseltation are not things to play with.

[ladylike]

Neosoul----what is up with these young women and possible false rape allegations? Do they understand how far reaching the affects might be? You ARE making it harder for an actual survivor of rape to come forth and to be taken seriously.

It wasn't until my sophmore year of college that I realized how close to home this issue was. They told us that 3 out of 5 of your female friends were the victims of some type of sexual assault. I thought that number was high until I found out that my roommate was a victim of molestation and my mentor (a senior @ the time) was a survivor of rape (her rapist walked around campus free).

Re: Santana Murder--Rape is one of the greatest acts of violation a human being can ever experience and for that girl to trivialize it by lying is beyond my comprehension.

[taylaur_2000]

Well it seems as if she will have a while to think about her actions. I hope she learns something from this tragedy.

[Exquisite5]

This is a little off topic, but this post made me think of this.

As many over on AKA Avenue know I have just wrapped up my first year at Howard Law School (learning like Thurgood ). One of my classes this semester was criminal law where one of the crimes we studied was rape.

I was surprised to learn that in MANY jurisdictions when the judge gives a rape charge to the jury he is still required to provide a Lord Hale Instruction. A Lord Hale Instruction is a direction to the jury that many females lie about rape and that rape charges should be decided with caution and that the jury should be very careful in deciding which prosecution witnesses it finds credible. Basically, the judge tells the jury that rape is a big deal, judge carefully and that women lie.

This was very common at common law, and there is a movement towards getting rid of this instruction and many jurisdictions have. Yet, many retain it.

What do you think about this? In light of the Merlin Santana death, do you think its justified?

It is only an instruction, the jury can still decide how they want to and in jurisdictions that give it, its given in EVERY rape case, not just when the judge thinks the victim is lying.